Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]<fontfamily><param>New_York</param>Last week I profited from the visit of a fellow LUGger from North America, a professional photographer who brought along a lot of lenses and a lot of experience.=20 I made a range of tests using his ASPH lenses and his general suggestions. Later I made 16x enlargements (that is how far my V35 goes without projecting on the floor). I then looked at the enlargements at close distance, having decided that if I can not see any difference then, I am not going to get a new lens no matter what all scientific tests say. Here is a summary of my test results. 90 mm Tele Elmarit (late version) is unsharp at 2.8 but very good indeed already at 4.0 35 mm: fully open my current non-ASPH Summicron 1:2 is quite unsharp, but the Summilux 1:1.4 is also unsharp when fully open, but --much-- less so. With both lenses at 2.0, you can really see the difference between the two lenses, but if you close down a few stops, there is little difference. 21 mm......if you close down a few stops, there is little difference. I decided there was no need to upgrade my current non-ASPH lenses (even with the differences at full opening) and that the money would be better spent on a diamond ring for my wife. 15 mm Cosina: great lens. More ground glass for your money than in a diamond ring. UV filter used vs not used: no difference in picture quality Agfa APX 25 exposed @ e.i. 16 and developed in Rodinal 1+100 for 17 mins has no grain at all but is not as sharp as Delta 100 slightly pushed in Xtol 1+1 for 14 minutes. And there is a three stops film speed difference. APX 25 in Xtol is a minor catastrophe =46P4 exposed @ 64 and developed in Perceptol 1+3 has a lot of latitude and handles contrasty subjects and over/underexposure better than Delta 100 in Xtol 1+1, but is grainier, not so sharp and slower by at least one stop. Delta 100 slightly pushed in Xtol 1+1 remains my favorite. I will bracket exposures when I feel there may be an under/overexposure problem. When making portraits of people with light skin I will give one stop more exposure than the meter reading off the face. Tri-X in Xtol 1+1 is great for its versitality, it can be shot at e.i =2E.from 400 to 1600 and then some.... Anyway, looking at full frame 16x enlargements from a one meter distance (3-4 feet) the difference in grain and sharpness between the films listed are not very obvious. At closer distance it is.</fontfamily> - -- christer almqvist eichenstrasse 57, d-20255 hamburg, fon +49-40-407111 fax +49-40-4908440 14 rue de la hauteur, f-50590 regn=E9ville-sur-mer, fon+fax +33-233 45 35 58